Sioux Valley: Season Preview
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Time to talk some Cossack basketball! It seems like Sioux Valley is always highly competitive at basketball and this season will be no different. PHD believes that the Cossacks are a top 5 team in Class A and that coach…
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Continue ReadingTime to talk some Cossack basketball! It seems like Sioux Valley is always highly competitive at basketball and this season will be no different. PHD believes that the Cossacks are a top 5 team in Class A and that coach Vincent’s squad will be back at the State Tournament. The people in the Volga community love their basketball and they will once again be in for a treat when they watch the Cossacks this winter. See below for an in-depth look at the Cossacks from Sioux Valley!
Sioux Valley is a Class A team and they are in Region 2.
2022-23 Season: 23-3, State A Consolation Champions, LCC Champs, Big East Champs, Big East Tourney Champs
Head Coach: Bill Vincent (27th season), 455-141 with a 76.4 winning %
Assistant Coaches: Travis Engebretson (2nd season), Buster Vincent (7th season)
Volunteer Assistants: Collin VanderWal, Dave Carmon, Nick Geffre, Noah Clair
Players Lost to Graduation: Oliver Vincent, Patrick Carey, Dylan McDowell
Starters Lost to Graduation: Oliver Vincent (Basketball DWU), Patrick Carey
Returning Players/Letterwinners: Seniors – Hudsyn Ruesink Hudsyn Ruesink 6'5" | SF Sioux Valley | 2024 State SD , Alec Squires Alec Squires 6'10" | C Sioux Valley | 2024 State #280 Nation SD , Jace Christensen Jace Christensen 6'0" | PG Sioux Valley | 2024 State SD , Boden Schiller Boden Schiller 6'3" | SF Sioux Valley | 2024 SD , Maxwell Engebretson Maxwell Engebretson 6'2" Sioux Valley | 2024 SD , Juniors – Maverick Nelson Maverick Nelson 6'3" | SG Sioux Valley | 2025 State SD , Brock Christopherson, Sophomores – Braden Danzeisen, Bret Milton, Tobin Squires Tobin Squires 6'7" | PF Sioux Valley | 2026 State SD , McCade Nelson
Starters Returning: Alec Squires Alec Squires 6'10" | C Sioux Valley | 2024 State #280 Nation SD , Hudsyn Ruesink Hudsyn Ruesink 6'5" | SF Sioux Valley | 2024 State SD , Maverick Nelson Maverick Nelson 6'3" | SG Sioux Valley | 2025 State SD
Potential Starters: Hudsyn Ruesink Hudsyn Ruesink 6'5" | SF Sioux Valley | 2024 State SD (2024) |6’5” F|, Max Engebretson Max Engebretson 6'3" | SG Sioux Valley | 2024 State SD (2024) |6’3” G|, Alec Squires Alec Squires 6'10" | C Sioux Valley | 2024 State #280 Nation SD (2024) |6’10” PF|, Jace Christensen Jace Christensen 6'0" | PG Sioux Valley | 2024 State SD (2024) |6’0” G|, Maverick Nelson Maverick Nelson 6'3" | SG Sioux Valley | 2025 State SD (2025) |6’3” G|, Boden Schiller Boden Schiller 6'3" | SF Sioux Valley | 2024 SD (2024) |6’2” F|, Brock Christopherson (2025) |5’11 G|
Newcomers: Bret Milton (2026) |6’2” G/F|, Braden Danzeisen (2026) |6’1” G|, Tobin Squires Tobin Squires 6'7" | PF Sioux Valley | 2026 State SD (2026) |6’7” F|, McCade Nelson (2026) |6’3” F| – Along with a host juniors & sophomores that are coming off of a very competitive JV season and SV expects them to be capable of competing at a high level and they will fill in the remaining roster spots. The Cossack freshmen show promise and they have a bright future.
Cossack Strengths: Sioux Valley has many players who have been contributing at the varsity level since a young age. The Cossacks will be
able to put an athletic team on the floor and they will have good length/size. They are a skilled group with multiple shooters that can fill it up. I envision the Cossacks as a team that will play solid defense and control the boards on both ends. Coach Vincent’s squad is a tight-knit group that is accustomed to competing and winning big games.
Potential Weakness: Depth could be an issue but we will see how that develops over the course of the season.
Season Outlook from coach Bill Vincent
“We will be able to compete night in and night out. We will play in two very competitive conferences and play a tough non-conference schedule. The combination of this should make us Tourney Tough. We will strive to be in a position to compete with the best in the state by the season’s end.“
Sioux Valley Notes
The Cossacks have gone 87-12 over the last three seasons. 21-1 in 2020 before COVID canceled the State Tourney. 23-2 in 2021
finishing Second at State, 20-6 in 2022 finishing Second at State. Last Season SV was 23-3 Consolation Champions at State.
Alec Squires
Alec
Squires
6'10" | C
Sioux Valley | 2024
State
#280
Nation
SD
,
Hudsyn Ruesink
Hudsyn
Ruesink
6'5" | SF
Sioux Valley | 2024
State
SD
, &
Maverick Nelson
Maverick
Nelson
6'3" | SG
Sioux Valley | 2025
State
SD
are returning starters.
Alec Squires
Alec
Squires
6'10" | C
Sioux Valley | 2024
State
#280
Nation
SD
is returning All-Stater & has signed with SDSU. He is a returning All-Conference performer who averaged 12 ppg & 10 rpg, the two Conferences (LLC & Big East) the Cossacks compete in look to be balanced this year, with teams like DeSmet, Hamlin, Castlewood, Clark-WL, Beresford, MCM, Baltic, & Flandreau all being very talented. Sioux Valley will compete in a very strong Region 2A with Flandreau, Hamlin, Elkton, Florence-Henry, Deuel, GPL, Estelline-Hendricks & Clark-WL.
Best of luck to the Cossacks this season!
Sioux Valley Schedule
11/27/23 – FIRST PRACTICE
12/9/23 – home vs. Clark/Willow Lake
12/14/23 – at Baltic
12/19/23 – home vs. Beresford
12/28/23 – at Corn Palace (Hoops City Classic) vs. Thunder Basin (WY)
12/30/23 – at Brookings (Entringer Classic) vs. Dell Rapids St. Mary
1/4/24 – Big East Tournament
1/5/24 – Big East Tournament
1/6/24 – Big East Tournament
1/9/24 – at Hamlin
1/12/24 – at McCook Central/Montrose
1/16/24 – home vs. Chester
1/18/24 – home vs. Deubrook
1/20/24 – at Corn Palace (Hanson Classic) vs. TBA
1/27/24 – at Dakota State University (Dakota State Classic) vs. TBA
2/1/24 – home vs. Flandreau
2/3/24 – at Pentagon vs. De Smet
2/6/24 – at Deuel
2/10/24 – at Parker
2/13/24 – at Castlewood
2/15/24 – home vs. Garretson